onsdag 21. desember 2022

"Beauty and the Beast" 30th Celebration - Another Broadcast Celebration Mashup of a Disney Renaissance Classic

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies. 

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
When The Little Mermaid had it`s 30th Anniversary three years ago, it was marked with a special event: With an Broadcast Celebration where the movie is played and actors performing it`s musical numbers live. True that Disney has usually milked their beloved products into similar properties. But in no such way was entirely Broadcasted and delineated between it`s animated and live action parts. And it became a huge success. With that notion and due to how Mermaid was the one who started the famous and influential Disney Renaissance, there was no surprise that Mermaid`s successor, Beauty and the Beast, would undergo this transition.
A rose only for me :)
Ain`t I lucky? :)
As for the position of Beauty, it needless to point out it`s placement in Disney history. It`s been regarded as not only the Cornerstone of the Renaissance. But one of the studios most beloved films ever. So therefore it was no surprise that Beauty was going to be cherished in a Broadcast Celebration. Despite that it`s been celebrated the year after it`s 30th Anniversary (most likely due to the Pandemic, despite how the marketing has made it clear that this year is the Anniversary of it`s well know Best Picture nomination at the Oscar`s, after all). 
 
 
 
 
 







General Information About Beauty and the Beast 30th Celebration

Joshua Henry was tapped to play Gaston. Martin Short plays Lumière. David Alan Grier performs Cogsworth. Rizwan Manji channels LeFou and Jon Jon Briones is Maurice. Shania Twain (yes, believe it or not) is be Mrs. Potts and Leo Abelo Perry is Chip. Rita Moreno serves as the narrator. And yes, Paige O’Hara and Richard White has their cameos, where O`Hara plays a librarian and White a baker. And yes, even Alan Menken makes a cameo (twice, since he plays Beauty and the Beast with Shania Twain). And yes, the late Angela Landsbury gets her tribute in the title song. And the logo for the Celebration was the same for the Live Action remake. The show brought in 4.26 million viewers and led broadcast networks among adults 18-49 with a 0.79 rating. The reviews have also mostly been positive. The soundtrack was also available the same day as the Broadcast.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
 
 

 
Comparisons to The Little Mermaid Broadcast
 
Of course comparisons to the Mermaid Broadcast are inevitable. While Beauty followed the same pattern of being a movie shown with live musical sequences, it still was more edited with the animated sequences than Mermaid. But at least Beauty shows actual drawings in some of the numbers. However, the introductory scene with Maurice was shown in an alternative storyboard version. Some scenes (like the prologue, the wolves, Belle entering the castle) were acted out, instead of showing their animated versions (especially the latter scene, with new dialogue by Lumiere and Cogsworth. There`s even a new additional scene with them after Gaston). The Belle reprise has been added more length with new dancers, as well with Gaston. Beauty also shows some Behind-the-Scenes footage with the actors and creators. And some footage about it`s everlasting legacy. 
The scenes with the mirrors are hybrids of animation and live footage. The transformation of the Beast is a hybrid of how the animated scene is shown on screen with the actors observing Be Our Guest has a new introduction to Mrs Potts. Also some unfinished animation is shown now and then. 
There are many pauses with showing the pedals of the rose falling. The
ending version of Beauty and the Beast is performed by Belle and the Beast (and even having H.E.R. with a guitar solo, despite how it could`ve been perceived as not fitting in, due to it`s setting. No offence to H.E.R.). In fact, while Beauty has been equally known for it`s Broadway version, it`s remarkable that how unlike Mermaid, the songs from the stage version wasn`t in the Broadcast version. Instead we got Evermore performed by the Beast (performed by Groban without a Beast suit, which truly makes it a full circle for him). Due to how the live action remake of Beauty has been perceived as inferior to it`s predecessor, it`s still astonishing to even have it.












Behind the Scenes Information

The mirror stands out in this
room :) With purpose :)
To become the Beast, Groban didn`t want to do anything theatrical or theme park-esque. Instead, they made a puppeteered version (made by EW), inspired by Broadway's War Horse and The Lion King. Which covered him, but still made him visible in the structure. It required weeks of rehearsal and physical work for Groban to handle the costume, and wearing a 60-pound backpack. Which was challenging for him. The crew made a conscious decision that they didn't want it to be the big fuzzy mask. And didn't want it to be prosthetics, cause it can be hit and miss. The sequence where the Beast's rescues Belle by wolves required Groban to learn how to handle his heavy costume while doing fight choreography. Which he spent a week and a half rehearsing cause it was so complicated to do it with his costume. 
A rose doesn`t always needs to
be red :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Epilogue

So yeah, Beauty and the Beast 30th Celebration is another way of Disney milking their beloved products. But at least it`s an honorable way of milking their property. Cause it deserves to be honored in such a way. As for myself, having seen it, I`ve actually liked it a lot. I liked that it was presented as an event and cherished it`s legacy with Behind the Scenes information and interviews. Despite how it`s pretty much what`s expected. But considering how Disney has now transformed two of their beloved Renaissance properties into a Broadcast convention, let`s wonder if the same will happen for their next cornerstones of the Renaissance, like Aladdin and last, but not least The Lion King. Anyhow, we`ll have to welcome Beauty and the Beast 30th Celebration into the Disney family and cherish it for it`s honorable intention.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
References: 
https://dvdizzy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=34055 (Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration)
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onsdag 30. november 2022

"Enchanted" - The Conscious Live Action/Animation Disney Parody of Their Princess Components

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies. 

Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.

And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize

 
With the recent release of Disenchanted, it would be perfectly appropriate to write about it`s predecessor who started it all and who`s having it`s 15th Anniversary this fall...
 
 
 
Yes, we exist :)
Yes, the color blue is the 
Enchanted color :)

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




This is how you`ll look as an
old ogre :)
When Shrek was released in the Summer of 2001, it solidified two things in the movie industry: How CGI animation was meant to take over Hand Drawn animation and the mockery of fairy tales. While the latter issue existed prior to Shrek, at least it became a trend to have mockeries of them after Shrek. Just look at all the movies that came after Shrek who did it! And yes, many people considered Shrek`s mockery to be a spoof of Disney`s properties. However, regarding how Disney have mocked their fairy tale components, they`ve happened to do it priorly. But perhaps really not in the same way as they did with 2007`s Enchanted. Who is essentially an remarkable oddity in the Disney canon.
Looking worried makes you
less dimensional :)
If we`re going to place Enchanted (named for how Giselle enchants everyone she meets) in Disney`s Library, it would`ve been awfully tempting to place it among the category of Live Action Movies who`s blended with Animation. However, while that placement is somewhat fair, it`s still on the surface. After all, Enchanted is rather a conscious delination of the two mediums: A movie that shows the different worlds and how animated characters comes to live in our world. However, what makes Enchanted notable is that it was made in a time where hand drawn isn`t as prominent anymore. Which makes it more rare. But what also makes Enchanted truly outstanding is (as aforementioned) how it`s a conscious spoof of the tradmarks and elements of Disney`s Princess movies. But unlike the likes of Shrek, which opted for complete irreverence, Enchanted`s mockery is a more respectful one.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 




 
Generel Information About Enchanted 
 
Yes, she was under my spell.
And my wings :)
Released in Thanksgiving 2007 (November 21), Enchanted was helmed
by A Goofy Movie and Tarzan`s Director Kevin Lima (perhaps the most subdued of his movies). Starring Amy Adams (her breakthrough role, as Lima wanted an unknown actress so the audience could label Giselle as her own character and not the actress), Patrick Dempsey (Lima cast Dempsey after Disney was satisfied with Adams casting, since he was a bigger star), Susan Sarandon, James Mardsen, Idina Menzel (since she didn`t sing, it was a compliment to be asked for just her acting) and Timothy Spall and Julie Andrews as the narrator. 
I made the castle behind me
myself with my own bare
hands :)
It featured songs by the Renaissance Disney Tunesmith Alan Menken
and his partner Stephen Schwartz (Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Prince of Egypt), which got nominated at the Oscar`s. While it didn`t set the Box Office on fire, it still made a decent profit ($127,807,262 Domestically and $340,487,836 Worldwide. Enchanted was the first film to open at #1 at Thanksgiving in the 21st century. And criticially it did well, too. And in a time when Disney`s name was (unfortunately) becoming synonymous with Disney Channel properties (with primarily it`s two H`s: High School Musical and Hannah Montana) and Disney Animation was slowly beginning to recover from their failures of the early 2000`s (Brother Bear, Home on the Range and Chicken Little), at least Enchanted was a proof that Disney was slowly getting back on track. 
We wanted to stand out from
the pink behind us, so that`s
why we`re in different colors :)
And since Enchanted was also released in a time when Disney`s Princess Franchise was at it`s peak, it was technically the first of the new generation to feature a Princess (and making Giselle the second of three Princesses to be strawberry blonde. Besides Cinderella and Anna). And technically Giselle could`ve been included in the franchise (despite how she`s not technically one), until it was discovered that Adams would pay royalties. And paved way for the following Revival Princesses (and yes, it has many similar components to Tangled, who even managed to be a snarky spoof on it`s own: Both are set in European kingdoms with a forest, have a fair heroine, a brown haired love interest, a female villain with music by Menken). 
Ever ever after makes you a
human :)
Even Disney veteran Jodi Benson (Ariel) gets a significant role (and was originally going to be in just one scene), with cameos by Princess voices as Paige O`Hara (Belle) and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas). Carrie Underwood provides the ending song Ever Ever After. Just like Brother Bear, it provides a ratio change from fullscreen to Widescreen (despite how this change of ratio happens during a scene). And sure, it`s easy to label the whole premise of Enchanted as pure fluff, cause it is. But it`s still not a disadvantage, as Enchanted comes across as genuinely inspired. But unlike some of it`s predecessors who`s blended both mediums, Enchanted haven`t truly been included among the canon list. So it is essentially an outlier. 













 
Behind the Scenes Information
 
Now you know how it`s like
to be Quasimodo :)
The sketches to the left are
from the pre-color era :)
The pattern around me is
supposed to be a rose :)
Those sparkles are fireworks :)
Pretty cool, huh? :)
The style of Art Noveau was chosen for being romantic, feminine and organic. Giselle`s wedding dress weighs about 40 pounds. 11 versions of the dress were made. On the experience of wearing it, Adams described it as "grueling" since the weight was on her hips, so it felt like she was in traction. The crew built a rig to get the dress to turn around (which had Adams being stuck to the ground for many hours at the time, cause she couldn`t get out).
Originally Lima did just the temp voice for Pip, but did it so well that he was cast as Pip. The pigeons and rats were real and trained. And the amount of effects were of 350 and were the hardest for the crew to work on. In the climax where Narissa climbs the Woolworth Building, a greenscreen rig was built to hold Dempsey to film his face and movements. Which was a "puppeteering" approach involving a robotic arm controlled by three different floor effects artists. 
This is the production of
Santa`s Workshop :)
I`m drawing the line.
Literally :)
The hardest part was making Giselle a character you can have fun with and love simultaneously. Cause it was easy to make her a fool. Originally there was a scene about why Giselle didn`t return to Andalasia through the manhole (which has been ranted about by fanboys), but it was cut. Lima wanted Ilene Woods (Cinderella) and Mary Costa (Aurora) to be in the ball scene at the end of the film, but they declined without giving a proper reason. The budget of Enchanted was of $85 million and was done on a live-action budget. 
 
 
 
 
 







The Hand Drawn Animated Scenes

I`m Homer in his next life :)
In fact, the two aforementioned components (hand drawn animation and parody) is what makes Enchanted remarkable. But the former element is certainly an notable issue (which the crew were excited to about). After all, Enchanted was released between the time where Disney had decided to leave hand drawn animation (in 2004) and the brief time where it was revived (The Princess and the Frog). However, it was still a proof of how a movie that featured hand drawn could still make a profit in a world that had mostly abandoned it (unless you count the success of Simpsons The Movie, who`s a rare exception to the rule). 
We have the same eyes :)
But my main reason for seeing Enchanted was for it's hand drawn segments. And yes, it was the main reason for Disney fans to seek it out. But in that area, Enchanted truly shines. Supervised by former Disney animator James Baxter (Belle, Rafiki, Quasimodo) who volunteered to do the work, they were on good hands. As the animated sequences manages to authentically capture the old-school feel of Disney animation. Despite how unfortunately full hand drawn scenes are mostly at the opening, at least there are some scenes that appears later on. While the animation may not be as glorious as Disney very best (sorry animators), it`s still nice, delightful and elaborate to look at (Narissa is impressively animated and designed).
I`m so proud of having made
you :) Despite how you`ll
look better with time :)
Cause I`m full of wisecracks :)


 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Parody of the Fairy Tale Components  

It was an expensive shot :)
However, what makes Enchanted fascinating to analyze is it`s fairy tale spoof. But as aforementioned, unlike the likes of Shrek, Enchanted is a loving homage to Disney's Legacy. Both to the Renaissance films and Walt's films (and also to live action Disney films, as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, Bon Voyage!, and Savage Sam. Even Lady and the Tramp gets a shoutout). But at least it takes advantage of it's premise clearly; To portray the contrasting difference between Disney's animated world and the real world. The idea of taking a Disney Princess to the real is somewhat corny, but also cute and funny. Some of the mockeries are very obvious and others less obvious.
We`re competing over who`s
having the thickest hair :)
Of course the purpose of  Enchanted's mockery is to be tongue-in-cheeck and bringing laughs. Therefore Enchanted is filled with clever jokes, puns and writing to contrast these both worlds. While there are some hints towards sexuality, they`re rarely overt or grotesque (Giselle gazing at a naked statue and Morgan saying how guys are only after one thing). Despite how some of them, frankly, are a little too tongue-in cheek (Giselle not knowing the term angry and the taste of food. And Edward not knowing what the term thinking is).
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The Poignant Contrast of the Worlds
 
Yet for all the deliberate mockery and parody, where Enchanted truly succeeds on the contrasts are with it's poignant moments. Where it demonstrates the contrast with the dissapointments and harsh reality of the real world. Those two scenes, where Robert tells about his ex-wife (being a divorce lawyer was suggested to have a greater contrast with Giselle and was going to be a celebrity lawyer) and the Witch luring the heartbroken Giselle to eat the apple, are cleverly and skillfully done (Since Sarandon's on-screen time was short, it took only two weeks to film her scenes. And she couldn`t walk in her dress). 
As they`ve written and executed in a economic and understated, yet satisfying and compelling way. Cause they truly fills their purpose of showing the difference between an idealized world and a harsh world. And frankly (in my opinion), it`s a pity that the rest of the contrast never lived up to those two moments, as they were the most emotionally resonant scenes. And frankly, the story could`ve needed that same kind of resonance all the way through. Since it needed to have that contrast and needed to have more of it.
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
The Arc of the Characters
 
I`m falling down from London
Bridge :)
While the idea of even taking a Disney Princess and to the real world is indeed fluffy, it would be relevant to scrutinize the purposes for the characters. From a storytelling standpoint, it's easy to figure out that Giselle's (played convincingly by Amy Adams. And yes, Disney wanted Kate Hudson or Reese Witherspoon for Giselle) purpose in the real world is to transform the dour and po-faced Robert (which was challenging for Dempsey, cause he had to play straight to outrageous parts) and make him believe in the gleefully purposes of fairy tales. 
I should`ve been called
Flower :)
And to bring glee and levity to Morgan (a surprisingly subdued and mellow little girl who`s wasn`t overtly cute or attention seeking, like many child actors are. She was later added so the kids see the story from their angle. And to show that Robert was a loving father). But Giselle also simultaneously goes through her own arc, since she ultimately decides to stay in the real world. Her arc is more understated than Robert`s, but ultimately she learns the means to take action and rescuing her love without being rescued herself (Adams did all the stunts on that sequence herself). But Lima still didn`t want Giselle to loose touch of the fairy tale world completely.
Are my ropes tight enough? :)
However, regarding the arcs of the characters, it`s remarkably how there`s an arc to everyone of them. But frankly it`s the secondary characters who goes through the most compelling arcs (in my opinion). While it may seem like fluffy, at least Phoebe and Ethan (the African-American couple who`s Robert helping) learns to love each other again and not to sacrifice their good times for their bad times thanks to Giselle`s encountering. Even more satisfying is the arc of Nathaniel (modeled after the Huntsman in Snow White), Narissa`s henchman. Who`s secretly crushing on her and does her bidding, but learns to not sacrifice his self-esteem and self-worth at the expense of his crush. In fact, Nathaniel is the character with the best arc, which makes it a pity that the story wasn`t primarily centered around him.
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The Flaws of the Development of the Love Quadrangle
 
It`s an interspecies
romance :)
However, for all of it`s good intentions, unfortuntately Enchanted is hampered by the cluttered development of it`s love quadrangle. But yeah, while the quadrangle has it`s purpose, it feels superfluous and adds an unnecessary element of a soap opera-angle to the movie. Most obvious is certainly the sparse development of Robert and Giselle: Their development is too rushed and contrived to be believable. Most of the time Robert spends mentoring Giselle, who`s out of her element and being mostly a mentor than a love interest. However, while their brief argument is an arc for both of them, they suddenly fall in love after it without question. Despite having little chemistry as a couple. 
Even guys can like
glitter :)
The same contrivance comes with the switch of the triangle with Edward (who James Mardsen had fun playing) and Nancy Tremaine (named after Cinderella`s stepmother). Despite how they display more chemistry, their arc and development is also too way too rushed be believable (and yes, since Nancy marries Edward, it does play the scrutiny of why Nancy isn`t a Official Disney Princess. But hey, scrutiny will always come with such things who gets unexplained in our scrutinizing world).  
 
 
 
 
 



 
 


Disenchanted

I`m looking cool in a blue,
Medieval suit, don`t I? :)
While 15 years have passed since the release of Enchanted, it`s simply remarkable that it`s taken so long to make a sequel to it. Which was simply named Disenchanted. What makes it even more remarkable is how unlike it`s predecessor, it`s headed straight into streaming (Disney Plus). Most of the cast have returned (with the exception of Sarandon and Rachel Covey who played Morgan, who`s now been replaced by Gabriella Baldacchino. Which her favorite movie was Enchanted). Menken and Scwhartz returned as the songwriting team (with even more songs than it`s predecessor). 
I`m a descendant from Beauty
and the Beast :)
Even producers Barry Johnson and Barry Sonnenfeld were back (as well as Adams producing). And the hand drawn sequences are back (despite how the marketing made less fuzz about it this time. John Pomeroy (John Smith from Pocahontas) animated them). Directed now by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), who was Enchanted`s director in 2003. And yes, Lima was saddened to not be asked. As for the plot, it takes place ten years after it`s predecessor. And centers around having our friends move from New York to Monroeville (with a new baby, Sophia) and having now a teenage Morgan having to deal with her teenage angst and frustrations (and even gets a mandatory love interest). Which has Giselle yearning for the simplicity of Andalasia and having a spell which transforms Monroeville to an Andalasian fairy tale. But also with disastrious consequences, by having Giselle actually becoming an evil stepmother (Shankman wasn’t afraid about this darkness, which he saw as a natural evolution for the world). 
I wanted to prove how two
characters from each medium
can interact without any
wishing wand :)
There`s a new villain this time, Malvina (who happens to be the mother of Morgan`s love interest and people were afraid of her with her costume). Robert gets his own storyline about his purpose. Even Pip is back in both forms this time. And for those of you who`ve ranted about how Menzel never sang in Enchanted, at least she gets to sing twice in the sequel (Love Power was inspired from Let It Go from Frozen and Defying Gravity from Wicked). And yes, there`s even more obvious references to past Disney Princess features in this movie. New actors among the cast are Yvette Nicole Brown (Lady & the Tramp 2019), Maya Rudolph and Kolton Stewart. 
I`m hugging you to make you
forget all the swirling around
us :)
These leaves are trying to
cover me :)
Originally it was going to be released later in November, but was moved into November 18th. As for the reception, the critics have been rather lukewarm to it. But the consensus from audiences has been superior. As for my own opinion about the sequel, did I like it? Yes. Despite how the animation was mostly meh (sorry to the animators), I thought the movie was fine and touching with a nice story. The songs were cute, despite how they weren`t outstanding. But overall it was a worthy sequel to Enchanted.
 
 
 
 
 
 






Epilogue

This is my anime version :)
At the end, Enchanted may perhaps not be a milestone in Disney`s history. But it`s still an honorary entry to Disney`s library of fairy tales. Not only because of it`s tongue-in-cheek parody and the fact that it brought hand drawn animation back again for a brief while. But because it`s cute, clever and an honorary parody of Disney`s legacy. It`s hard to believe that it`s been fifteen years since it`s release and it`s remarkable that we`ve waited so long for the sequel to come.
I wanted to look like a beaver,
but it was hard :)
As for myself, did I like Enchanted? Yes, despite that it`s not the very best that Disney has ever done. It`s hampered by some flaws: The live action Pip was really annoying, some of the cartoony elements felt out of place in the real world, Enchanted feels less inspired with it`s live action segments and Narissa goes from being a menacing villain to become contrived and annoying at the climax. Still, Enchanted is still redeeming despite it`s flaws and is both inspired and honorable. But since it`s been fifteen years since it`s release and now that we`ve seen it`s sequel fifteen years later, there`s nothing left to wish Enchanted Happy 15th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.




Only that I`m not a Prince :)

Enchanted DVD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2a8rt49sNA&t=28s (Enchanted Exclusive Director`s Commentary with Kevin Lima)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5xAKdqdnzw&t=328s (Maya Rudolph TEASES her Villain Role in Disenchanted Exclusive)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF9lEeoUI1c (Fashion Rewind Disenchanted)
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